Splatoon's Wii U bundle is in countdown mode (are you ready?)... tickety tock, ink drenched socks, I know a few people ready to play around the clock. If you're hopeful to be the best of the best little squid person... for possible tournaments, first put it out there that you want tournaments for this game so that there is a demand.

Would you like a Splatoon tournament?

Reply below and we will pass it on to Nintendo... because it's one of those games that deserves a tournament to really excite players and potential players. As mention before, this game is coming at a pretty good time... because the summer is right there ([pointing right at it]... do you see it) and this is the perfect game to jump in and out of between dives in the pool.

Bravo to BFG for letting the crazy hang out in this video!

The reason this is a great time to buy a Wii U... outside of the games already available and those on the horizon is because the best Wii U systems to buy are the bundled systems. Nothing complex about that reason... but you're saving money on games at the same time instead of making multiple separate purchases at once.

I wish the game would've been around $39.99 or $49.99... but it should be alright... and to be honest, there are shooters (that we've mentioned and warned about) that didn't give much more than some multiplayer action and charged a full price. If this game has a full single player campaign... as well as a hefty multiplayer side, then I can't argue with the price (but but but... it would sell a bit quicker at one of the mentioned prices). These Splatoon Amiibo figures may prove helpful if you get the upper hand on the competition... but don't expect Nintendo to give you overkill capabilities that make the game severely unbalanced.

This is what happens when Comic Awesomeness & Comedy collide with an on-rails shooter… chock full of creativity and naughtiness.

“Viktor Kalvachev’s Blue Estate the game”… is based on a comic by… Viktor Kalvachev & Kosta Yanev. Don’t know who they are? …It’s quite alright, we don’t either, but we hope to see more from team Hesaw because varying styles change up the pace. Following trends is not the way to go, taking your own route and owning the fluff out of it… gives gamers more options to enjoy, and this is what I see in this game.

This isn't a game for everyone (I just want to make that clear)… especially the kids below the recommended age, so put them to bed and game it up. If you like action… want a sense of getting back to the arcade or want to know what it feels like in a sense, then you’re not that far off when you get together with a some of the craziest friends you have playing this on a big screen w/ the surround sound cranked just below… the volume of disturbing the peace!

The story feels good… the art is great, and it feels like one of those comic style movies that places a (light) gun in your hands as you ride shotgun with a fun motor-mouth narrator sitting in the back seat. Light gun games don’t come around that often, and even with FPS games giving you a similar feel mainly do to the first person view (some almost following a similar blue print in their story modes because they take you by the hand even when they shouldn't because its not on-rails BUT)… light gun games have their own charm when it’s done right. Accuracy and timing pays off as you progress in this game that starts off with you rescuing a stripper/love interest from the dangerous clutches of… someone that’s quite the “little” character and then some (so expect a good mash up in this story). Hesaw definitely sends you walking into an inferno... that maintains its action quite well.

The game is priced very well… they didn't play around with a ridiculous price tag which gets a thumbs up from us (two thumbs up). The game is available for PS4, Xbox One, PC, as well as Leap Motion… for fans of the controller.

Cons of this game (for me) are… “Why in the world isn't it also on the Wii U?” The Wiimote naturally doubles as a light gun (more on the lines of something you’d see in Star Trek via the phasers… but a light gun none-the-less), so we’d definitely like to know why. The experience would be a lot more at home on the Wii U because of the Wiimote more so than… the Xbox One, and the PS4. The nunchuk would drive home the experience also… because you’re required to do certain movements to overcome various obstacles while still taking on the enemy. It’s a nice move that a lot of other ORS’s don't consider, so you're able to do more than just... point and shoot without it becoming a pain since opening doors and stuff help you move forward.

Another con that stems from the lack of a Wii U version (for me), is when I used the standard controller on the PC… it was a pain because the movement of the camera could’ve still been moved around like that of a traditional FPS game to improve on aiming in this fast paced game. It doesn’t break the game… and I was able to proceed, but… I really (really) got into the zone when I put the controller to the side and got on the keyboard & mouse (while thinking of how awesome it would be to play in a more traditional way on the Wii U because of the Wiimote & Nunchuk... without buying an additional peripheral that would only be used based on the frequency of genre related purchases).

Q&A w/ the team!

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Since we wanted to know why Wii U doesn't have the game… and the team was so cool with it, we had the honor of doing a Q&A with them... and the comic book creator:

How did Team Hesaw and Viktor Kalvachev meet?

VK: I am one of the founders of the company and had the pleasure to welcome everyone on board myself.

What made you consider doing a game based on the Blue Estate comic?

VK: It was one of my partners who kept pushing to make the comic into a rail shooter and I finally gave up. After a month of brainstorming how to approach it I was pretty happy with the chosen direction and we decided to apply for funding through CNC (a French government organization helping studios in France finance their projects). Luckily we were given the grants and so it began. It was so much fun to transfer the comic book universe into a playable one.

Why did you decide to go with an on-rails shooter instead of another genre?

VK: We love the genre and we miss the good old games like House of the Dead and Time Crisis. Rail shooters are also a lot cheaper to make then FPS games and we used the controlled camera to give the game a more cinematic feel.

Any reason why the game isn’t on the Nintendo Wii U? For use with the Wiimotes?

Samuel Jacques : Actually, we are using a Unreal 3.0 for the game engine.

To release the game on WiiU, we should undertake a massive technical work that is simply beyond our capacity.

Some games using Unreal engine have already been released on WiiU like Mass effect 3 or Batman Arkham City (…if i am right) but those projects had resources we can’t spend

I wish we could do a WiiU version as I really love the console.

Regarding the Wiimotes, I strongly advise you to have a look on Blue Estate steam forum. Some people came up with some creative solutions J

Do you see yourself making more Blue Estate games based on the positive response from gamers?

VK: We would love to. Only time will tell if will get the chance to make another one or not.

Overall, Hesaw made a good move with the game, by placing it in a genre that's not used too often... the story is fun, plenty of action, and the price... forgeeet about it. Its unfortunate that resources stand in the way of this game being on the Wii U... but who knows what a kickstarter could do if they're willing to try.

Now it's time to say goodbye... to all our Onlive friiieeenndds! It's sad to know that those jobs will probably go poof, but what about the games? If you have invested in the service and have purchased game... find out how you will be able to take your library with you (to Steam). We've contacted the company before... because 1st party games would've actually helpedthem out (if they were good), but not even one popped up.

This is something for stream surfing gamers to keep in mind... "How long will those games purchased at full retail... be accessible by you?" Onlive supporters can kiss (not one, but) ALL of their games... goodbye, no matter if they paid full price for them or not (gotta love that crap, right?).

That's like an ahhh... long term game rental. Where is the safety net if the company pulls the plug? (Sony basically bought them out.) Sony should take Onlive Microconsoles, and the apps (if possible) and update them to run PSNow.

Nvidia's shield console is similar (looking at it from the outside), you aren't downloading and backing these games up, so... I will say think before you buy. We will be making a demand to Nvidia, because there needs to be a safety net for the games sold at full retail price.

That's one thing traditional gaming has over streaming... and games that require the internet to play (period), you can go in and just get your game on with or without the internet. Love it!

I don't mind variety... but I don't like to waste money either, something has to be worth my time to get my dime most of the time. I'm a bit more optimistic with Nvidia, but we shall see.

Why I would consider buying this: A reason i'd probably be interested in purchasing something like this, is... because I like to have a set top box so that i'm not running a Nintendo, Xbox or PlayStation constantly to stream entertainment (so the fact that it's a set top device is actually the thing that got my attention)... and this is small enough to fit in a laptop bag along with my 3DS. The gaming is a plus in this case... so from that perspective its something I could get with the performance i'd prefer over slower STBs (it also has free games if I just want to play something... without purchasing).

Nvidia... create 1st party games and make sure that you do not lose momentum like... Onlive! It's a competitor to other gaming consoles that have exclusives and first party games, so make it essential to the Shield. If its a console... remember to treat it like one, and go hard for your system to make it worthy of a huge audience.

Think before you buy

Speaking of thinking before you buy... Evolve is more of a devolve in terms of a full retail AAA title. We put out the warning about this game when it was first revealed... it just wasn't a full game, it was as clear as day.

We cannot tell you what to buy and what not to buy (you do what you want) but... complaints about a game are pointless if you lead off with "I should've ****ing listened!".

The company needs to be ashamed of selling "game modes" as a full retail game. The modes are an experience I could see in an arcade, but if its not something acknowledging that the experience is limited and being priced as such... its nothing more than an unfair cash grab. They could fix that by actually giving more as free downloads, but unless they do something... decent like that, i'd be skeptical. Less isn't always more... seriously (like seriously... seriously).

Developers: If you consider doing stuff like this... you deserve to land flat on your face. If you don't know how to make a full... game, bring in some fresh blood to bring the game to life with a depth-filled story worth playing (while giving them a chance to shine). Say no to the rodeo dung!

I had no clue what we were being invited to Nintendo's Tree House for... but holy crap, I didn't expect for us to have an offer to join the Nintendo family. Reggie respects the fact that i'm not going to bite my tongue (because that would hurt, but secondly) because... they need an unbiased addition to the team that keeps them on their toes. That's what made me comfortable with it... but we're still waiting for our lawyer to look over the paperwork.

We were allowed to mention some things to you guys, like things they will consider... including:

- Tournaments that we host (at least once a year)

- Suggestions for games in development... including ideas that we might have for IPs (heck yeah!)
- Game giveaways

- A yearly drawing to take 1 Nin-Dem w/ us to experience E3 every year

Our main focus would be Nintendo-Demand at Nintendo.com/NintendoDemand, and Nintendo Miiverse. We won't be able to talk about other platforms after things are final, but a lot of huge things are coming... we can't say anything about Nintendo NX but I almost (literally) pissed my pants.

Before you check out Nintendo Direct... there's one more thing (highlight the area below):
|April Fools(!), but if they were to ever present us with a great offer... we'd take advantage of it to make you crap your pants from shock.|

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The wonder of Nintendo meets the wonder of, well, WonderCon! Nintendo is heading to this year’s WonderCon at the Anaheim Convention Center from April 3 to April 5 with a host of fun games and activities, including hands-on time with Splatoon, as well as a variety of games on the New Nintendo 3DS XL system, an interactive amiibo tournament for fans and fun giveaways.

Those that want to get early hands- and tentacles-on time with the Splatoon game will have a great opportunity to do so at WonderCon Anaheim. The upcoming Wii U action shooter will be playable at the Nintendo booth, giving attendees a chance to get a taste of the frenetic and fun multiplayer mode in the game. Fans who can’t attend WonderCon Anaheim are also invited to get in on the fun by checking Nintendo’s social media channels during the event for details about chances to win fun Splatoon prizes from home! More information about these giveaways will be provided at the time of the show.

Starting Friday, April 3, at 2 p.m., the first of several amiibo tournaments will commence at WonderCon. Fans are encouraged to bring their favorite (and most powerful) amiibo figure to the Nintendo booth to enter it into an amiibo tournament featuring the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DSandSuper Smash Bros. for Wii Ugames. Each competitor will sign up to enter his or her choice amiibo into the tournament participant pool on a first-come, first-served basis beginning one hour before each tournament start time. Thirty-two players will be chosen at random for each tournament session from that tournament’s participant pool. Winners of this tournament will win a variety of different amiibo figures, with those coming in first place receiving the Mario – Gold Edition amiibo figure from the Super Mario series. Additional amiibo tournaments are currently scheduled for Friday, April 3, at 5 p.m., April 4 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and April 5 at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. More information about the tournament rules and regulations can be found at http://www.nintendo.com/corp/wondercon-SSB-amiibo-tournament.

On Sunday, April 5, at 1:30 p.m. in Room 300DE, Capcom is hosting a developer panel about Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, featuring director Kaname Fujioka and series executive producer Ryozo Tsujimoto. The panel will highlight exclusive insights from the game, and will include an audience Q&A session. WonderCon attendees can also visit the Capcom booth, which is directly adjacent to the Nintendo booth, featuring a themed caravan experience based on the world of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.